In the first half of Register Radio, Thomas Peters of CatholicVote spoke about recent corporate efforts by corporations such as J.C. Penny's, Target, and Starbucks, to advocate for homosexuality and push for the redefinition of marriage.

"Over the last year or so, gay rights organizations have stepped up their efforts to get corporations involved," said Peters. "It's not the business of corporations to define marriage."

Peters drew attention to Starbuck's, which not only issued a public statement saying that redefining marriage is one of their "core values," but which has also filed an Amicus brief to try to get state laws protecting marriage between one man and one woman struck down.

"Amazingly, there is even a petition online to get Merriam-Webster to change their definition of marriage," said Peters. "Words define morality. Definitions matter."

Asked why corporations are making these decisions, Peters said that "on the simplest level it's about money, but that the gay rights organizations are very mobilized, very wealthy, and very vocal. "Corporations are not passionately interested in the gay rights agenda. The challenge for Christians is to be as passionate about their belief that marriage is important."

In response to Starbuck's decision, Peters was involved in creating the DumpStarbucks.com boycott. 45,000 supporters have already signed the petition.

"We're sending the message that if you egregiously oppose marriage between one man and one woman and are going to use your profits and proceeds to redefine marriage, we will not support you," explained Peters. "The website also offers alternatives in your area where you can find coffee."

"Interest groups get involved, they take shares and they go to shareholder meetings and ask the position to take positions," said Peters. "Corporations turn when they start hearing from one side. Groups such as the Corporate Fairness Project have been working successfully to keep companies neutral. Exxon Mobil has repeatedly resisted efforts by the LGBT lobby."

"There is a hierarchy of goods - some things are more important than others, such as life, marriage, and religious liberty," explained Peters. "Corporations that take an egregious stand against the unborn, or who undermine the family and marriage, we cannot afford to ignore. Starbucks is unabashadly attacking marriage and undermining it in law and culture. There is no obligation on Catholics to boycott. You're not a bad Catholic if you don't participate in the boycott, but it is an opportunity to mortify oneself and to be a witness. Catholics are called, in a special way, to show through their lives, their distinctiveness and that this is something worth sacrificing for. We can win the culture, win on marriage, and win with corporations."

Are They Leaving the Party, or Has the Party Left Them?

In our second half, Dan Burke spoke with Matt Archbold about his recent story on Democratic official Jo Ann Nardelli's decision to quit her party.

"Her family has always been Catholic Democrats. She had an important position in the party," explained Archbold. "She was stunned when she saw Vice President Joe Biden supporting homosexual 'marriage' on Meet the Press. She previously had related to Biden because he seemed like a regular guy and reminded her of her father. When the president followed with his support, she realized it was politically calculated. When she received the agenda from the party that they were supposed to espouse this, she said she could not do it. It was a tipping point."

Archbold explained that her decision has not only affected her party, but her entire social circle as well.

Dan Burke mentioned a CNA/EWTN story that shows that Nardelli's decision is not an isolated case. Approximately 50 Democrats in the state of Mississippi have made the decision to leave their party, seven of whom have done so following the vice president and president's public support for so-called same-sex 'marriage.'

To learn more, listen to today's show at 2 p.m. EASTERN Friday on any EWTN Radio affiliate. The program re-airs at 7 p.m. EASTERN on Saturday and 11 a.m. EASTERN on Sunday, and is also available on the Register Radio web page, and via podcast.

Comments

I believe in the British approach, where they use the terms “Civil Union.”
To claim there is no difference between the union of a man and a woman as opposed to the union of 2 people of the same sex is intellectually dishonest.

When I was a student at the University of Toronto,Professor Marshal McLuhan claimed, “Give me control of radio,newspapers television and I can have people believing the moon is made of green cheese”. And gay marriage proves he was right.

Posted by stilbelieve on Sunday, Jun 10, 2012 8:34 PM (EDT):

Clancy O’Houlahan,

I know what you mean. Also my older brother introduced JFK to a town square rally when he was running as the Democrat Party nominee for president. And I shook his hand, just him and me, as his limo pulled slowly into the back entrance of the hotel he went to for a fundraiser after the rally. He was sitting on top of the back seat of a convertible with the top down and I was alone on the curb. I reached up and he leaned forward and reached down with that fabulous smile and we shook hands.

As far as feeling sad about Democrat Party leaving us, know this, you saved yourself from sinning. I didn’t know it at the time I registered out of the Democrat Party, but Catholics remaining registered in that organization are committing a serious sin according to the Catholic teachings that I verified recently that still are the teachings of the Church. Joining an organization that “denies him his rights is a sin against justice as well as charity. This is particularly true in the case of joining an organization which promotes segregation or ANY OTHER DENIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS.” (Life in Christ – Instruction in the Catholic Faith. The Democrat Party is the sole reason abortion-on-demand remains the law-of-the-land because they have made it part of their Party Platform. Catholics remaining in and supporting the Democrat Party are committing, “particularly” a sin in violation, ironically, of the 5th Commandment.

Posted by Clancy O'Houlahan on Sunday, Jun 10, 2012 6:48 PM (EDT):

We came from a long line of “south side Chicago, Irish Catholic, Democrats. We loved our mayer, Richard J. Dayly and were so proud when JFK was elected. I could never have imaganed leaving the Democratic party. It was very sad when the Demacratic party left us, over the issue of abortion. So many of us were left behind - but we are still kicking and voting, but no longer for Democrats. How sad is that?

Posted by Americo Borges on Saturday, Jun 9, 2012 5:37 PM (EDT):

It is time, and I repeat for every Roman Catholic, and Christians alike to stand up and be counted in boycotting these corporations that support gay rights organizations These people have no core values for we must understand as believers our core values come from God. God created Man first and Woman to be his compannion, and He said go out and subdue the land and multiply,and it was good. He dint say nothing about a man and a man or a woman and a woman to multiply and subdue the land. For He created man then the woman. We must put on the Armor of God, and pray that the instatution of marriege between a man and a woman is preserved for all time as God intended.

Posted by Joanne S. on Saturday, Jun 9, 2012 2:59 PM (EDT):

There are so many corporations jumping on the gay bandwagon that it makes it difficult to boycott all of them, but I do my best. Even the TV commercials are getting into the act. Enough already!

As for the Democrat party, I agree that any faithful Catholic who continues to support the Dems is seriously deluded. The bishops as a group withheld all criticism of the party of death out of some misguided loyalty for past good deeds, but the Dems are no longer the same party our grandparents knew. Even Cardinal Dolan, who had a huge wakeup call from Obama, admitted to Fr. Groeschel on EWTN that he, his family and friends grew up Democrat. Obama’s betrayals are shifting the Catholic vote.

Posted by stilbelieve on Saturday, Jun 9, 2012 2:17 PM (EDT):

Speaking as a former south Chicago born and raised, liberal Democrat, what is taking Catholics so long to realize that giving their name identification and support to the Democrat Party is feeding the monster that is devouring us?

I registered out of my Catholic family’s life-long membership in the Democrat Party when the party took the position of supporting Roe v Wade. It was a no brainer.

So why are there still so many church-going Catholics that are registered in the Democrat Party? And don’t tell me because you can’t be a Republican. I know that, I couldn’t either; I registered as an Independent.

After a few years of volunteering to get pro-life candidates elected to Congress (who all happen to be Republicans), replacing incumbent pro-abort Congressmen (who all happen to be Democrats), I changed my registration to Republican because they went against the tide and added a prolife plank to their Party Platform. It they are willing to buck the pro-abortion media, and emerging abortion culture, then I will give them my name to support their unpopular political position. And besides, having volunteered in prolife congressional campaigns, I discovered first hand that Republicans were pretty decent people, nothing like what I was told they were like by the Democrats I grew up with.

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About Tim Drake

Tim Drake is an award-winning writer and former journalist and radio host with the National Catholic Register/EWTN. He currently serves as New Evangelization Coordinator for the Holdingford Area Catholic Community in the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota. He resides with his wife and five children in St. Joseph, Minn.